Eraser mechanism.



J. AULD.

FRASER MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JULY 2a, 1916.

Patented July 30, 1912.

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To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN AULo, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Eraser Mechanism, of which the following is a on which 4 specification.

My invention relates to eraser mechanism,

and contemplates an improved form of eraser and improved construction and arrangement of supporting and holding means which will enable the eraser to be more read ily adjusted and more easily manipulated. I

One important object of my invention is to provide an improved form for theeraser member itself which will enable it to be.

used with greater facility, without tiring the user, this being accomplished by providing a preferably circular eraser with a comparatively large central opening through which the tips of the thumb and forefinger can meet to form a pivot for the eraser, and which provides a radial abutment surface for the fingers.

Another important object is to provide supporting plates for the eraser member,

which plates dip into the large central opening of the eraser to form pockets for the finger tips and sin-abutment surface therefor. These plates may be permanently ap-; plied to the eraser or may form part of a s ring holder frame, which frame may be. c amped directly over the eraser member itself, or over the supporting plates thereon.

My invention will be better understood by reference to the following s cification and the accompanyingsheet o drawings,

Figure 1 is aplan View of the eraser member, showing the large central'opening; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the erasing member taken on plane 2-2 Fig. 1-, and showing its position with reference to the thumb and forefinger; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the eraser showmg'supporting plates pertakenon P am M of Fi 3; Fig: 5 is-a plan view showing a modi ed form of sup-, porting means applied about the central opening; Fig. 6 1s a sectional view taken on plane 6-6 Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a plan view of the eraser member, and a removable clamping frame applied directly thereto; Fig. 8" is a plan view of the eraser member with permanent supporting plates, and the removable clamping or holder frame hand.

, EBASER MECHANISM. I g

taken on plane 9--9 Fig. 7, and Fig. 10 is a sectional View taken on plane 10- -10 Fig. 8. a The eraser member 1 is preferably circular, and has the comparatively large central opening 2, as illustrated in Fig. 2. This opening is of a diameter to allow the ti s of'the thumb and forefinger to meet in the opening to form a pivot for the eraser memher, so that, it can be readily rotatedto present clean surfaces. By slight pressure of the fingers, the eraser will be held in adjusted position, and the inner wall 3 of the opening presents an abutment surface for the-fingersto preventradial slipping or displacementof the eraser during the process of erasing, only slight pressure of the fingers being necessary .to hold the eraser against rotation and to prevent radial slipping, and the eraser can therefore be'manipulated with ease and accuracy without causing cramping or tiring of the fingers or Tie main eature is, therefore, to. provide pockets in -he eraser for'receiving the finger ti s toal ow a firm and accurate grip to be 0 tained with .the least exertion.

Erasers, particularly those for stenographers use, are quite thin, and it is sometimes preferable to strengthen and stiffen the eraser. This I obtain without eliminating the pocket feature. above referred to by providing plates over the central opening,

which plates have their central portions de- Pat'ented July 30, 1912 plied thereto; Fig. 5A is a sectional view 7 fiected to form concave pockets. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the circular plates 4 and.

5- have the central portions 6 and 7 respectively, deflected to form the concave pockets 8 and 9. The plates are applied at opposite sides of the eraser-member 1 with their deflected parts extending into the opening 2 as shown. If these plates are'to be permanent, a tubular rivet 10 ,may be applied at the centers thereof, as shown. The plates may be riveted to tightly clamp the eraser, or may be-sufliciently oose to prevent harmful or deleterious pressure on the eraser, and to allow the eraserto rotate between the plates. The concave plates form pockets for the finger tips, and the surfaces 11 and 12 form the radial abutments for the fingers, so that the eraser can be easily rotated to present clean surface, and, thenheld against rotation and against radial movement by a sl-lght-pressureof the fingers. In th 'modified arrangement shown in readily formed integrally of sheet metal, the

stamping blank, in the form of a band, being bent midway and the halves l4 and 15 brought together. The ends 16 and 17 of the halves are circular, and the inner sections 18 and 19 are deflected inwardly abruptly to form the pockets or concavities 20 and 21. These deflected sections enter 'the opening 2 of the eraser member 1 when the member is slipped into the holder be-. tween the halves thereof.- The spring action of the holder brings the deflected sec tions together in the opening 2, and the eraser can then be used in the same manner as described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6, the'finger tips being accommodated by the pockets 20 and 21, and the inner surfaces 22 and 23 forming the abutment surface for the fingers. The spring holder allows the eraser member to be readily rotated to present J clean surfaces, while a slight pressure of the fingers will lock the eraser against rota- I tionalor radial displacement during the process of erasing. The same form of removable holder canalso be used with the form of eraser shown in Figs. 3 and 4:, or that shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the concaved end sections of the holder fitting the con cavities of the plates 4' and 5, or theopenf ends of the bushing13. The deflected sec tions 18 and 19 are perforated-With openings 24 and 25 of sufficient diameter to ac commodate the rivet 10 when the form of Figs. 3 and 4 is applied to'the holder, as shown in Figs. 8 and 10. The bend f of the frame F forms a convenient means for supporting a brush 26. Any suitable means may be provided for clamping together thebristles of the brush, and for securing the brush in the-bend. -As shown, a section or tongue 27 is stamped'from one'of the halves of the holder frame, and is curled inwardly about the center of the brush to bind the bristles together and to lock the brush into place.

i I thus provide an eraser which can be firmly clasped between the fingers with but little exertion, and which has concavities for receiving the finger tips, and which provides In combination a U-shaped spring holder having bristles fastened in the bend thereof to form 'a cleaning brush and having its limbs at the ends, concaved inwardly toward each other to form sufiiciently large pockets for finger tips, and an eraser removably i11- serted between said holder ends, said eraser consistingmf a flat piece of compositionrubber erasing material having a central opening and a concaved circular plate on each side thereof, said concaved circular platesbeing riveted together through said opening in such a manner as to clamp and stiffen the erasing material, and being so designed asto receive and fit to the concaved portions of said U-shaped holder ends on opposite sides of the eraser, and said U- shaped holder being'made of spring sheet metal. whereby to cause the concaved portionsof its ends to clamp said concaved circular plates and thereby rotatably support the holder on the eraser.

. f 'JOHN AULD.

Witnesses: JOHN N. KERRY, Enwn. C. HARMB. 

